Rising prices are now a top political concern for Beijing
News reports from Asia indicate the Chinese government is finally having to own up about that country’s pork shortages due to African swine fever (ASF) and trade disputes. The South China Morning Post has reported that Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua has been assigned to oversee the issue of rising pork prices that could mar October’s […] Read more
But their contributions are little understood or recognized, a new report says
Canadian farmers receive too little credit for their progress in curbing carbon emissions that cause climate change, according to a new study. The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) recently released the report, which took full aim at another recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. CAPI says it fails to mention “the Canadian […] Read more
Grain and intermodal were among strong sectors as the railways enhanced their networks
Canada’s two major railways have quietly gone about their business in the past year, turning in strong financial performances and building up their networks, even as economic storm clouds gather. They overcame wicked winter weather to record a record grain haul for the crop year ending July 31. As of September, they were still enjoying […] Read more
Dominic Barton’s appointment welcomed by farm organization representatives
The appointment of Dominic Barton as Canadian ambassador to China was welcomed by farm leaders but the former business leader and university chancellor will have a lot of issues to deal with besides blocked shipments of canola, pork and beef. The arrest of a Chinese executive in Vancouver on a U.S. arrest warrant soured relations […] Read more
Book tackles fear of pesticides, GMOs and new technologies with facts and common sense
Author Robert Saik concludes his just-released book Food 5.0 with the following observation — “I have immense faith in our farmers to feed the future… we just have to let them.” The book is aimed at the 99.8 per cent of the population who Saik figures have no on-the-ground knowledge of modern agriculture and explains […] Read more
Larger farms already well into technology adaptation but properly trained employees key to the future
In the not too distant future, farms will depend on high-tech workers with titles like tech-gronomist, ag tech integrator and knowledge translators, a recent conference of the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council (CAHRC) heard. In a presentation entitled Agriculture Skills for the Future, Stuart Cullum, president of Olds College in Alberta spelled out the kinds […] Read more
Do More Agriculture and Farm Credit Canada are building on their mental health awareness and training efforts
The Do More Agriculture (DMA) Foundation and Farm Credit Canada (FCC) are extending and expanding their partnership to bring mental health awareness and training to rural Canada. The two-day training program, developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, is aimed at developing community leaders, said DMA Executive director Adelle Stewart. The leaders are trained […] Read more
Changes to infrastructure and skills needed before regulations come into force, report says
Big changes are coming down the road for the veal sector. This February new transportation regulations are coming and that’s going to change how male dairy calves are marketed and the whole sector will need to talk to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) about a phased transition, a new report recommends. Prepared by an […] Read more
AgriStability discussions may need to move up the agenda
The ramping up of the U.S.-China trade war will put more pressure on the Canadian government to increase its financial assistance to farmers who are already suffering from the early stages of the superpower skirmish. China has announced it will stop buying U.S. agricultural products and it may impose additional tariffs on U.S. farm products […] Read more
More vets needed to certify animals were raised without growth promotants
Canada could be selling more beef to Europe if it increased the number of veterinarians trained to approve cattle for shipment there or secured approval for using Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) to meet European requirements, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) says. Since the free trade agreement with Europe came into effect nearly two years […] Read more
